ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Railways
130 years of Indian Railways iconic station: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus building
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus  has completed 130 years of its construction on 20th May 2018. The present day Headquarters building of Central Railway popularly known as Victoria Terminus  is an architectural marvel. This magnificent monument was originally planned as the office of GIP  Railway. This is the most photographed building after Taj Mahal, and was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect. Thus taking almost a decade to built it at a princely sum of Rs. 16,13,863/- Stevens designed the monumental Terminus which was the largest building then erected in Asia and which even today is a standing testimony of his innovative talent.
The construction started in 1878 and on jubilee Day in 1887, it was named after Queen Empress Victoria. Later in 1996, it was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. It was again renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in July 2017. In 2004, UNESCO has enlisted this building as World Heritage Site for its architectural splendour. From December 2012, this heritage building has been opened for public viewing on working days.
- Shivaji Maharaj Terminus  was constructed at a cost of Rs.16.14 lakh and is designed in Gothic style adapted to suit Indian context. It is a C shaped building planned symmetrically about the east west axis. The crowning point of the whole building is the central main dome carrying up a colossal 16’-6’’ high figure of lady pointing a flaming torch upwards in her right hand, and a spoked wheel low in the left hand, symbolizing `Progress’. This dome has been reported to be the first octagonal ribbed masonry dome that was adapted to an Italian Gothic style building.
The station was constructed with 6 platforms at a cost of Rs.10.4 lakh and in 1929, the first remodeling took place to have 13 platforms. Further modifications were done to the yard and the station had two more platforms thus making it a total of 15 platforms in 1994. Today it has 18 platforms with a spacious east side entry as well. In April 2018, a heritage gully was inaugurated adjacent to platform no.18, wherein Sir. Leslie Wilson, the GIP Heritage Electric Loco, and other heritage items are displayed.
During Centenary celebrations of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Building, a postal stamp was released. In 2013, when the building celebrated quasi-centennial  anniversary, a special postal cover was released on the occasion.
Ministry of Defence
Initiative by BRO to educate children of Casual Paid Labourers
Key Highlights:
- BRO providing education to children of labourers employed for construction works in high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand
- 60-70 children attending outdoor classes in three camps
- BRO working with an NGO to provide clothing & ration to these children
- Plan to provide basic accommodation &better teaching facilities
Border Roads Organisation  has undertaken a noble deed of educating the children of Casual Paid Labourers  who are employedby them for various road construction workson the Dharasu-Gangotri road in Uttarakhand. Devoid of mobile connection &basic facilities, the officers and supervisors of BRO are imparting education to these childrenin the most inhospitable high-altitude terrain.
Junior Engineer Rahul Yadav and Subedar Sandesh Pawar responsible for the road construction on Gangotri Highway in Uttarkashi district came up with the idea of providing the children with basic education and keeping them engaged when their parents are out working.
Three camps in Jhangla, Hindoligarh and Naga are holding these outdoor classes since July 21, 2021. Presently, 60-70 children are attending these classes. These officers of BRO are also proactively working with an NGO ‘Goonj’ to provide clothing and ration to these children. Carrying forward the initiative of these officers, BRO plans to provide basic accommodation and better teaching facilities to the children in the coming months.
The CPLs are the backbone of BRO as they work in inhospitable and difficult terrains to ensure construction of strategic border roads. They stay away from their homes for long durations and are cut off from society. Most of them working in these areas hail from Jharkhand or are those who reside near the Nepal border. The aim of this initiative is to engage with these young and often neglected minds by educating them and ensuring that their parents are encouraged and satisfied with the organisation they work for.
ABB/Nampi/DK/Savvy
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Prime Minister's Office
PM celebrates Silver medal in 10m Air Pistol Mixed team at Asian Games 2022
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS for winning the Silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed team event at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
“Proud of Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS for winning the Silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed team event at the Asian Games 2022. I congratulate them for their accomplishment. Their talent, dedication and teamwork are commendable and motivating for the youth of India.”
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Director General Police,Jammu and Kashmir calls on the MoS, Dr Jitendra Singh; briefed the Minister about the current security scenario in the Union Territory
Director General Police  Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbagh Singh today called on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in New Delhi and briefed him about the current security scenario in the Union Territory.
In a briefing lasting over 30 minutes, the DGP informed the Minister that terror related violence in Jammu & Kashmir had come down by 60% in less than one and a half month of 2020, as compared to the same period during 2019. At the same time, there has been no major law and order or stone pelting incident at the encounter site or during burial of neutralized terrorists.
A detailed presentation made before Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that up to 13th of February in the current year, 24 militants had been neutralized, which includes 20 killed and 4 arrested. This is in addition to the arrest of 12 terror operatives involved in grenade attacks in Srinagar and other areas, and arrest of 43 Over Ground Workers  who were providing all kind of assistance / logistic support to various cadres of different terror outfits.
Of the 24 militants neutralized so far in year 2020, the DGP’s report indicated that 10 militants were affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad  while newly infiltrated group of 3 militants were neutralized at Ban Toll Plaza, Jammu and 11 were from Hizbul Mujahideen  outfit.
Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the performance of the security forces and close coordination between Jammu & Kashmir Police  and Paramilitary Forces, which had become much more cohesive and effective, particularly after the imposition of Governor's rule and creation of Union Territory. He also expressed satisfaction that in the last one and a half month, there has been no major law and order problem.
DGP Dilbagh Singh also informed Dr Jitendra Singh that the surveillance mechanism, both technical and human, had been further strengthened it. As a result of this, he said, the return of seven youth from South Kashmir back to their families was possible and they were thus prevented from joining the militant rank and file.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Electronic Monitoring of Highways
Notification vide SO 2806 dated 12th July, 2021 brought into force Section 47 of the Motor Vehicles  Act, 2019 with effect from 15th July, 2021. GSR Notification 575 dated 11th August 2021 provides for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety, which mandates that State Government shall ensure that appropriate electronic enforcement devices are placed at high risk and high density corridors on National Highways and State Highways, and at critical junctions at least in major cities with more than one million population.
Provision of Advanced Traffic Management System  is envisaged in high traffic density corridors, which has provisions for CCTV/Pan Tilt Zoom cameras, Variable message signs, Vehicle Actuated Speed Display System, Automatic Traffic Counter- cum- Classifier and Video Incident Detection System: these help in speedy identification of incidents on the highway stretches and effectively monitor the highway.
The provision of video recording of the monthly progress has been added in the draft agreements as part of the scope of the concessioner. Further, the Terms of Reference of the supervision consultants mandates the use of Network Survey Vehicle , Laser Profilometer, Falling Weight Reflectometer , Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit , Retro-reflectometer for assessing the work of the concessioner.
Data relating to total number of road accidents on National Highways, and the number of persons killed and injured in these accidents is compiled by the Ministry, based on police data in this regard.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister's Office
PM chairs 37th PRAGATI Meeting
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today chaired the meeting of the 37th edition of PRAGATI, the ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, involving Centre and State governments.
In the meeting, nine agenda items were taken for review including eight projects and one scheme. Among the eight projects, three projects each were from the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and two projects were from the Ministry of Power. These eight projects have a cumulative cost of Rs. 1,26,000 crore concerning 14 states viz., Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttrakhand, Manipur and Delhi.
The Prime Minister stressed on the significance of timely completion of these projects.
During the interaction, the Prime Minister reviewed the scheme of ‘One Nation – One Ration Card’ . He asked the officials to explore the multiple utilities of the technological platform developed under the scheme to ensure provision of a wide array of benefits to the citizens.
Prime minister also directed the state officials to keep monitoring construction of oxygen plants and availability of hospital beds.
In the previous 36 PRAGATI meetings, 292 projects having a total cost of 13.78 lakh crore have been reviewed.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Collation of India’s hydrogen & fuel cells research status launched
Hydrogen as an energy source will play a key role in transforming climate-neutral systems over the next few decades
A compilation of ongoing research activities in the country related to hydrogen being carried out by several scientists, industry, utilities, and other stakeholders from R&D laboratories and academia was launched by Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Professor Ashutosh Sharma recently.
The compilation titled India Country Status Report on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells was an outcome of a brainstorming discussions and presentations on various issues for developing programmes and strategies to accelerate the ushering in of hydrogen economy as part of India’s commitment as a participating country in Mission Innovation Renewable and Clean Hydrogen Challenge.
Greater utilization of renewable in our energy mix is our policy objective to achieve decarbonization. While there are several pathways for decarbonisation varying in time frames, Hydrogen produced from renewables is considered as the cleanest energy source. Hydrogen as an energy source will play a key role in transforming climate-neutral systems over the next few decades.
Hydrogen has high energy content per unit mass, which is three times higher than gasoline. Hydrogen is being used for energy applications with suitable fuel cells. However, in order to make renewable hydrogen a viable option, several key challenges related to materials, including new material development, electrolytes, storage, safety, and standards, need to be addressed. Since hydrogen technologies can help to reduce global warming, further acceleration of efforts is critical to ensuring a significant share of hydrogen in the energy system in the coming decades.
Two key developments have contributed to the growth of hydrogen in recent years-- the cost of hydrogen supply from renewables has come down and continues to fall, while the urgency of greenhouse gas emission mitigation has increased, and many countries have begun to take action to decarbonise their economies.
Hydrogen can help tackle various critical energy challenges, decarbonise a range of sectors including intensive and long-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel, where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce emissions and also help improve air quality and strengthen energy security. In addition, it increases flexibility in power systems. It is one of the best options for storing energy from renewables and looks poised to become the lowest-cost option for storing large quantities of electricity over days, weeks, or even months.
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Commerce & Industry Minister to attend 7th RCEP Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok from 8-10 September 2019
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal, will attend the 7th RCEP Ministerial Meeting, 16th ASEAN India Economic Ministers  meeting and the 7th East Asia Economic Ministers Summit being held in Bangkok from 8-10 September 2019. The meetings will be attended by Economic Ministers and senior leaders of ten ASEAN member countries and eight East Asia Summit  countries.
Engagement with ASEAN is at the core of India’s ‘Act East’ policy. ASEAN is the gateway to the Indian Ocean region and as close partners, there is convergence of views in India’s and ASEAN outlook in the region.
Trade and investment relations between India and ASEAN continue to show remarkable growth. India’s bilateral trade jumped threefold from USD 21 billion in 2005-06 to USD 96.7 billion in 2018-19. ASEAN countries together have emerged as the largest trading partner of India in 2018-19 , with a share of 11.47 % in India’s overall trade, while India was ASEAN’s sixth largest trading partner in 2018.
Investment flows are also substantial both ways. The Foreign Direct Investment  inflows into India from ASEAN between April 2018 to March 2019 was about USD 16.41 billion which is approximately 36.98 % of total FDI flow into India. FDI inflows from India to ASEAN in 20018 amounted to USD 1.7 billion, placing India as ASEAN’s sixth largest source of FDI.
The EAS meeting will discuss regional and global economic developments and ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific regions. Matters related to promotion of trade and investment among the partner countries will also be discussed in the India ASEAN AEM and EAS-EMM meetings.
Piyush Goyal is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and Russia.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Member Parliament Muhammad Sadiq Inspires Youth at District-Level Youth Fair in Faridkot
CBC exhibition on AmritMahitsav takes centre stage
The Nehru Yuva Kendra, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, organized a remarkable district-level youth fair at the Senior Secondary School in Faridkot. The event witnessed the presence of esteemed Member of Parliament, Muhammad Sadiq, who graced the occasion as the chief guest.
The vibrant event commenced with a captivating candle lighting ceremony, setting the stage for an inspiring day ahead. Member of Parliament Muhammad Sadiq delivered an empowering address, expressing his admiration for the initiative taken to promote the advancement and progress of the youth. He emphasized the importance of hard work as the pathway to success, encouraging the young participants to strive towards their goals. The cultural presentations showcased during the fair received high praise from the MP, highlighting the talent and creativity of the students. Muhammad Sadiq also took the opportunity to extend his congratulations to the organizers for their commendable efforts in organizing such an impactful event. Moreover, he emphasized the significance of such programs in spreading awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.
The exhibition organized by the Central Bureau of Communications, Amritsar, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, emerged as a focal point of interest. This exhibition served as a platform to educate the local residents about the country's 75 years of achievements and the various schemes initiated by the central government. Visitors were enlightened about schemes such as Mudra Yojana, Agneepath Yojana, Skill India, and more, empowering them to make informed decisions and avail themselves of the benefits. The exhibition received high praise from the residents, who lauded it as a commendable initiative.
The event also featured engaging cultural competitions, including painting, speech, poetry recitation, and photography competitions, which witnessed enthusiastic participation from the students. The winners of these competitions were felicitated by the chief guest, Member Parliament Muhammad Sadiq, who presented them with well-deserved prizes.
Expressing gratitude, the school principal extended heartfelt thanks to the Nehru Yuva Kendra and the participating students for their fervent involvement. These youth fair programs, conducted nationwide by the Union Ministry of Youth and Sports, serve as catalysts for infusing fresh energy and reinforcing the vital role of the younger generation in our nation.
This district-level youth fair in Faridkot left a lasting impression on the local community, igniting a sense of purpose and underscoring the importance of nurturing our youth for a brighter future
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing a Central Sector Scheme, ‘Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers’  under which identified manual scavengers and their dependents are provided the following rehabilitation benefits:
-
Onetime cash assistance of Rs.40000/-.
-
Loans upto Rs. 15.00 lacs at concessional rate of interest.
-
Credit linked back end capital subsidy upto Rs. 3,25,000/-.
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Skill Development Training upto two years with stipend of Rs.3000/- per month.
Ministry is also implementing a Scheme titled “Pre-Matric Scholarship scheme to the Children of those engaged in occupations involving cleaning and prone to health hazards”. Children of manual scavengers are also eligible for this scholarship.
13 States have identified 13,657 manual scavengers up to 30.06.2018. State-wise details are given below. In addition, a National Survey of manual scavengers has been undertaken in 170 districts of 18 States to identify all those persons who were cleaning the insanitary latrines prior to their conversion into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Mission. The survey also identifies those who are continuing to work as manual scavengers in some places. The process of survey has been completed in 155 of the 170 identified districts. In some States like Karnataka and West Bengal, the survey could not be undertaken as scheduled. On the basis of this survey 14,678 manual scavengers have been identified up to 23.7.2018.
STATE/UT-WISE NUMBER OF IDENTIFIED MANUAL SCAVENGERS
AS ON 30.06.2018.
|
|
S.No.
|
|
State/UT Name
|
|
Number of Manual Scavengers
|
|
1
|
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
|
78
|
|
2
|
|
Assam
|
|
154
|
|
3
|
|
Bihar
|
|
137
|
|
4
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
|
3
|
|
5
|
|
Karnataka
|
|
732
|
|
6
|
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
|
36
|
|
7
|
|
Odisha
|
|
237
|
|
8
|
|
Punjab
|
|
91
|
|
9
|
|
Rajasthan
|
|
338
|
|
10
|
|
Tamilnadu
|
|
363
|
|
11
|
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
11247
|
|
12
|
|
Uttarakhand
|
|
137
|
|
13
|
|
West Bengal
|
|
104
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
13657
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Government has taken cognizance of the fact that the inhuman practice of manual scavenging is still continuing in the country. “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 ” mandates survey of manual scavengers, if any municipality or Panchayat has reason to believe that some persons are engaged in manual scavenging within its jurisdiction. The above Act has come into effect from 06.12.2013.
This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
Union HRD Minister presents CBSE Teacher Awards - 2018 to 34 teachers of the country.
Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ' Nishank' presented CBSE Teacher Awards - 2018 to 34 teachers of the country.Minister of State for HRD, Shri Sanjay Dhotre also graced the occasion.
Shri Pokhriyal greeted all the awardees and thanked the dedicated teacher community in nation building through teaching. He said that these awards are a symbol of their hard work. He called upon the teachers to create a positive environment with quality and values that meet the present and future needs of students.
During the function, the Minister also launched CBSE's portal 'Vidyadhan' on Diksha App, a Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing's  and released CBSE's annual activity calendar. Apart from this, he released 10 CBSE Manuals on various subjects like art integration, experiential learning, enjoyable teaching and learning of maths, new initiatives, school quality assessment and assurance, 10 + 2 post-academic courses, artificial intelligence, hubs of learning and eco-club and water conservation.
Shri Sanjay Dhotre congratulated the awardee teachers and commended them for their important role as a mentor and for successful discharge of their duties. He said that since every student is different and unique, education should be according to the individual needs and nature of each student so that children become courageous, confident human beings with strong character and may be able to build their bright future.
On this occasion, CBSE Chairperson Smt. Anita Karwal congratulated the teachers on being selected for this prestigious award and said that it will give new energy to the recipients and at the same time inspire many other teachers to uplift the education sector. Along with this, she spoke about the utility of 10 new CBSE manuals, 'Vidyadhan' and activity calendars for schools, for teacher community and students. Shri Anurag Tripathi, Secretary CBSE also made his gracious presence in the program.Many distinguished dignitaries from MHRD, CBSE, NVS, KVS and schools also graced the event.
Ministry of Heavy Industries
Public Procurement Policy in CPSEs
As per DPE MoU guidelines, negative mark is given to MoU evaluated CPSEs for non-compliance of Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises issued by Ministry of MSME. The number of MoU evaluated CPSEs which have not complied with the Public Procurement Policy has reduced from 53 in 2016-17 to 25 in the year 2017-18.
Central Public Sector Enterprises  function under the administrative control of their respective Ministries and Departments. As per the Public Enterprises Survey for the years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 tabled in both the Houses of Parliament by Department of Public Enterprises, the details of number of CPSEs which have reported their annual procurement and those which have complied with the mandatory 20% procurement from MSEs are given below:
|
|
Year
|
|
No. of CPSEs reported annual procurement
|
|
No. of CPSEs complied with the mandatory 20% procurement from MSEs
|
|
2015-16
|
|
131
|
|
45
|
|
2016-17
|
|
141
|
|
81
|
|
2017-18
|
|
168
|
|
102
This information was given by the Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Babul Supriyo, in written replies in the Lok Sabha yesterday.